A warning off the bat: this is going to be rather scattered. Not scattered in the sense that I am going to eat moldy cottage cheese and wash it down with a glass of expired milk, but scattered in the sense that I have some thoughts and I am not sure how to put them together.
So, first of all, my food inventory. I felt this was a slow week for me. It was kind of bland and ordinary, in my opinion. Cereal or a bagel for breakfast. Italian sausage one day for dinner. Steak one day for dinner. Had a burger on Monday. My in-laws made me salmon one night. I did a lot of grilling. All the aforementioned meats were grilled. I grilled eggplant. I grilled mushrooms and zucchini in a foil pack. My husband and I managed to use our oven only two or three times last summer. We try to grill as much as possible. I don't know what that says about me or how food functions. Resourcefulness? Practicality? Conservation? I feel as if I am being too literal.
I also eat a lot more salads and vegetables in the summer, mainly due to this large garden we have in the backyard. It is about 20 feet by 10 feet. My husband prepares and plants it. I water and harvest. We're also getting chickens. Crazy, huh? I never thought I would have chickens. They will have to wait until next summer though, as we did not get a coop built in time. Both my brother-in-law and my husband are all about being as sustainable as possible. I don't think they are going to go the extremes that Ruth's roommate did, but they want to be sustainable. There is a sense of accomplishment that goes along with this. This could relate to the idea of what food does for Alice. It makes her independent and self-reliant. Gardening does that for me. I am able to eat and live off what I grow.
Also, in regards to the food inventory, I realize how the quality of food changes if I am having dinner by myself or making it with or for my husband. If he is not home one night, I might make a frozen pizza, hope there are leftovers in the fridge, or just buy something, however, if he is home, there is definitely more thought, effort, and time that goes into our meals. What does this say? Food is more fun when you're with someone...is that too simple?
Speaking of fun. I think food is A LOT of fun. This idea came up when was writing about my younger self and food. My parents LOVE ice cream. I love ice cream. Our family shared our first Blizzard (oreo) when they first came out in 1985 while we were on vacation in the St. Louis area. I remember this, isn't that random? Anyway, we went out for ice cream many a time. More so on vacation. I think it was my parents' way of being extravagant, a small luxury we could afford. Now, ice cream kind of rules their lives. I am not joking. My family has a soft spot for Culver's frozen custard. My sister lives in Wisconsin and they know every Culver's on the way to her house, which one is better than others, and they have to stop at each one (sometimes) in an effort to get the best flavor of the day. They have had three ice cream cones in one three hour journey. I don't know what to make of this, but I think it's great. Food is entertainment? Food as an adventure?
I am trying to make this more complex and am not sure how. I have never been a picky eater. I am willing to try almost anything. My mom served us a variety of things and we ate a variety of things. I was remembering how my mom did cook, but there were many times where my mom would bring home something that my grandma cooked or one of my aunts. My mom has four older sisters and they are quite talented in the kitchen. I think with my mom being the youngest girl, there was not a need for her to be so competent in the kitchen...which she appreciated because she liked to climb trees. Anyway, I ate a lot of leftovers. I found it weird when people said they didn't like leftovers, because we could other people's leftovers. It wasn't because my mom and dad couldn't afford to feed their family, I think my grandma just always cooked as if she was serving eight instead of 3 or 4. I feel like there's some thing here...does this connect back to my (simple) theory that food is more fun with or for someone? But then, I think Gram did this more out of habit than out of entertainment. Could this connect to accomplishment and self-reliance, like with me, my garden, and Alice? Possibly.
I just really love food...all kinds of food. I hate horse in Italy. I think that's kind of cool. And there is never enough time or stomach space to eat everything (like when you're on vacation). Ruth got to know a place through its cuisine...I don't think that is my intent. I just want to try things I haven't before. It seems too simple that food offers a new experience, a way to "see" the world. And now we're back to tasting the first Blizzard.
There is some serious thinking and theorizing that needs to happen over the next day or so.
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